'Trapped in Paradise'

Sunday, 1st March 2009
New York. Woke up early with the jet lag, so strolled up Broadway to the Moonrock diner, picking up a New York Times en route. I texted my friend Penny, who lives in the apartment building above the diner, to see if she could join me whenever she woke up.
I did the American breakfast thing and had a go at the crossword, whilst watching the gentle snowfall outside. There was a large article by John Pareles about U2 in the Sunday Arts section that had a great line 'after 30 years they still want to be the Next Big Thing' which pretty much says it all.
Some hours later Penny appeared and we strolled up to the big Barnes & Noble near Lincoln Centre. By mid-afternoon I was beginning to fade so headed back to find my pillow. The evening saw the arrival of Tom, the tour's video director, who is here to help with all the promo work this week. Spent the evening inhaling sushi and planning world domination. Froze our arses off walking home through the increasingly heavy snow.

Monday, 2nd March 2009
New York. David Letterman Show (x 2)
Woke up to a world in white, as a full on blizzard has swept into New York City. There's about a foot of snow, which of course makes everything look spectacular.
It was 'another day, another TV show', or actually another two TV shows in this case. We headed down to the Ed Sullivan Theater at Broadway & 53rd, long-time home of 'The Late Show with David Letterman'.
I'd been a little apprehensive, this being New York and all, wondering how open the house team would be to our input. As ever, I did the rounds and met everyone, whilst sussing out who might be the guy to help us. It turned out that everyone was most welcoming and Tim, the house lighting chief, was very amenable to what we had to say. We had two shows to do, as Letterman goes out every week night, but for some reason they tape the Friday show on Monday. First up was 'Breathe' which the band ran through three times. Generally I was encouraged, but the 'key light' (the main light for lighting the actual performers) needed work to give it the kind of look that we like in U2-land. We didn't quite get it right for the actual take, but it wasn't disastrous (and thinking back to Jonathan Ross, it was positively glorious.) However, Tim and his team took all our comments on board and really ran with it. Next up was 'Boots' with which I was more than happy. It was also a very good feeling to know that we're going to be in here all week and the house team have already grasped how we like to do things.
The show contained lots of snow jokes, given that the city was knee deep in it by this time. They shot a clip of the four members of U2 shovelling snow out on 53rd street, which was pretty funny
The day's brief moments of intense activity were, as ever, interspersed with long periods of standing in corridors. This building wasn't made to accommodate the quantity of people required to do a show like this, let alone when you add in all of our lot. The band has a small suite of dressing rooms on the sixth floor but it's all incredibly cramped and tiny, so the bulk of us end up back in the corridor for much of the time. They do a good line in stairwells at the Ed Sullivan Theater too, so we had plenty to choose from. Even the band's catering tables were spread out in an upstairs corridor!

Tuesday, 3rd March 2009
New York. David Letterman Show.
Had a meeting with my fledgling tour video team this morning, which was very productive. As usual, the video control system for the forthcoming tour is a work of technical wizardry, which all has to be custom made for us. 'Smasher', our video technical director, has joined us from Belgium for the week, so we are hopeful that we'll get the thing nailed by Friday.
This occupied the morning so we decided to run out for some lunch before heading to Letterman for 2pm. At the end of the block, we saw a crowd gathered at the corner of Broadway and 53rd. On closer inspection we saw the crowd was surrounding a small podium containing the whole of U2 and Mayor Bloomberg, plus about a hundred TV cameras. This, we discovered, was an unveiling ceremony for a new street sign, as this block of 53rd street was being renamed 'U2 Way'. There was a countdown and someone pulled a piece of string revealing the shiny new green sign.
Tom, Smasher and I saw that the crowd was about to disperse, so we ducked into an OK looking French place to have lunch. We'd not been in there ten minutes when we saw an absurd quantity of police and armed guards (black helmets, machine guns, the whole bit) flocking right outside the window. For a moment I thought we'd been transported to Baghdad, but it turned out to be the mayor entering this same restaurant, bringing with him the whole of U2. Honestly, you can't go anywhere in New York these days without falling over a member of U2.
Back at Letterman the band played through 'Magnificent' a couple of times for the camera rehearsal. It's really looking pretty interesting, given the parameters, so I feel we are in good hands here. After the show taping we stood around in corridors for a couple of hours, then decamped to a reception area to film U2 singing 'Guantanamera' as CBS telephone 'hold' music. This is starting to be quite fun.

Wednesday, 4th March 2009
New York. David Letterman Show.
Started the day by meeting with the lighting supply company for the tour, who have gradually been coming to terms with the magnitude of the project. They now also understand the fact that the staging set up is so radically different from the norm that none of us can make assumptions about how everything will come together - traditional methods simply will not apply.
One thing which has made me laugh is that the stage design has already earned its nickname. Above the performing area is a huge four-legged structure that effectively straddles the football field, from which all the paraphernalia of the show is suspended (this in lieu of a roof, being outdoors and all.) I've been working on this, off and on, for about two and a half years now, having shown the band the first drawings whilst we were still on the Vertigo tour. During the evolution of the structure it has, at various times, come to resemble several different things; a dockyard crane, a cactus, a giant crab, the Theme Building at Los Angeles airport. It went very Louise Bourgeois for a while, then a little space age. In its final incarnation though, its sleek curves and four talon-like legs have been dubbed "The Claw", remembering the fairground machine from Toy Story. This really amused me, spawning a fantasy of it descending and grabbing members of the audience, all of whom, presumably, would have three eyes.
Anyway, I digress. After the lighting meeting I went to see a projector demonstration - not something for the U2 tour but an interesting new gizmo which I wanted to go and have a look at for future reference. This was followed by a video meeting, and then another video meeting. The tour is still three months away, but a great many decisions now need to be made every single day, it seems.
Tune-de-jour at Letterman was 'I'll Go Crazy If I Don't Go Crazy Tonight', getting its first airing. Tim and his lighting team had really pushed the boat out, creating an interesting and (for a TV chat show) highly radical look for the song. This was a good demonstration of something that David Letterman said on air, during the show; 'Having U2 here is like a shot of electricity to the whole place - they just make everybody better.' Generous words indeed. When you're right in the thick of it, it's easy to forget just how hard this band strives to make everything the best it can be and that kind of energy tends to spread.
There's a huge amount to do just now, both for future promo appearances and for the real tour. I was hoping to sneak home at the weekend, but a U2 radio appearance in Boston next Wednesday just turned into a film shoot, so I'm going to have to stay on and get involved. Here we are. Trapped in Paradise.

can.t wait to see the claw when it comes to dublin willie your doin a great job

lufego

13 March, 2009

David Letterman and U2

I saw in Brazil cable TV all the nights in the David Letterman Show. U2 rules. I laugha lot when I saw "the phone" scene and the boys singing the waiting message, thanks CBS and U2, cheers from Brazil, Luiz Fernando.

shellyblack3

12 March, 2009

Willie rocks

Reading your journals is the highlight of my day! Thanks!

shazaam

12 March, 2009

Amazing!

I find it so amazing that in the year 2009, that the band continues to do things that haven't been done...paint colors that haven't been seen...that's why they are the best band in the world!!! Thanks Willie, you've always been an unsung hero in providing some of the most memorable moments of my own life! Bring on "The Claw!"

dianep

11 March, 2009

trapped in paradise

Aah. Sweet.
Can't wait to see the Claw in action. Great stuff. Thanks, Willie.

thornyg

11 March, 2009

thorn

hi willie. have been fan of band for years and years BUT not long joined u2.com. its fantastic. your dairy is great and its refreshing to hear the band news from an insider. thanks again willie you doing a great job.

u2fanster

11 March, 2009

Thanks Willie

I love the inside info. I was lucky enough to attend the 3/4 taping and I was in the front w/my U2 shirt on. I don't think any of the band noticed. I was lucky again hours after the show to shake Larrys hand and to get Edges autograph. A fan of 24 years and it was the first time I met any of them. I really wish I could just sit down w/one of them or all of them & have a beer and talk. But we all wish that. I hope to meet Bono & Adam some time in the furture. Keep the reports coming Willie. This one was special since I was there sharing some of the moments.

MustangDave

11 March, 2009

Crazy Tonight

Thanks Willie for you insider info. I was lucky enough to be at the letterman show last Wednesday when Crazy Tonight made it's debut. One question though...How do I get your job? :)

tuf

11 March, 2009

"The Claw"

"The Claw is my Master....I have been Chosen!!" - Suppose thats one way of updating who gets closest to the stage!

durbanboy

11 March, 2009

tks willie

really appreciate your time and humour to keep us all in the snow ....er know

Gloria78

11 March, 2009

Evolution of the Claw

I want to know more about the Claw. When did everyone know "this is THE U2 360 tour stage"? I can't wait to see it in person in Barcelona!

irishmoley

11 March, 2009

where would we be.....?

Without wicked Wille! Great job and cant wait for the show. See you in Amsterdam, I'll be up in the back nosebleed seats so please look after us

maela62

11 March, 2009

it is not a paradise....

sorry i have to argue to that :' trapped in paradise', before i checked the correct translation of the word,if you are trapped it cannot be paradise at all, but the diary is a perfect visual

me_and_

11 March, 2009

Is it possible Willie ?

Very interrested and looking forward to your reports through the whole build up too, and Tour. After watching the London Roof Top gig at the BBC, I thought it would have been even better if projectors had been used to project images of the band onto the sides of buildings as the roof was so high. (I'm sure there is a good reason why not!)

Uatl2

10 March, 2009

the claw...

... looks sexy and I can't wait to see it live! Love the blog, keep us up-to-date! Thanks Willie.

Dalivoxhewson

10 March, 2009

Thanks

Thanks Willie! I really appreciate the insight you are giving and the personal touch to it. Most importantly I appreciate all the spectacular work you have done over the years to make my favorite band look even better!!! I was there on Monday at Letterman and I thought it was amazing! Can't wait to be in the middle of your new creation soon! My old office was right by the Oyster resataurant. Must have walked by there hundreds of times in the last few years. Surreal to see it on the site. I've been the biggest die-hard fan for over 20 years of my 30 some year existence. Please write more!!!

dddaaann

10 March, 2009

Willie's Diary

As ever, an interesting peek into the behind the scenes stuff that goes on. -The "claw" is better than my nickname for that hulking structure: the canopy- tent -type-thing! Can't wait to see it in action!

Ash

10 March, 2009

Great To Hear From You Again

So glad you're journaling again! This is definitely a highlight of the U2 tour season!

Craig Petinak

10 March, 2009

Looking forward to your work!

Willie--we're so glad to hear that you'll be steering "the claw" from concept to "magnificent" completion. Thanks for letting the fans in on the inner workings!

u2 ka

10 March, 2009

Magnificent

Thank you so much for the "Magnificent" update and insight. I have seen the band 165 times over the past 6 tours and I absolutely love all the insider information that you share with us fans. I look forward to the spectacle that you and your team are creating!

Laura S Bommarito

10 March, 2009

The Claw?

okay, Willie, I'm a little scared about being underneath "The Claw" ... trust that all the kinks will have been worked out across The Pond before its debut in Chicago ;-)

ddadj

10 March, 2009

Good News Abounds.

Ok, please Willie, how about making toy versions of "the Claw" and selling it at the show? Keychain size maybe? Seriously - glad that the envelope is again being pushed for a concert experience. Can't wait - see you in Toronto!

u2sateve

10 March, 2009

thanks Willie

Great blog,, I'm really looking forward to "The Claw"

barbaram

10 March, 2009

trapped in paradise

thanks willie for your generous updates. its great to read what happens behind the scenes. just goes to show how much work there is to do. keep up the good work.

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Latest Willie's Diary

Within the bands entourage (certainly by comparison to the crews clockwork scheduling) travel departure times are often a little loose. This morning was especially so, due to three contradictory memos which had been emailed out last night and this morning.

There was a 6.30pm conference call arranged between Bono (Dublin), The Edge (Los Angeles), Steve Matthews (London) and myself (also London) to blow the cobwebs off our brains and discuss the reincarnation of the Vertigo Tour.

I was planning on resurrecting the tour diary today, being the day we were scheduled to fly to Auckland for the load-in tomorrow. However, its now old news that the remainder of the tour dates have been postponed, so Im not going anywhere further than the corner cafe. Its been a very weird week indeed - much akin to driving into a wall.